Fitness club-style

Like geese flying south for the winter, exercise enthusiasts tend to flock indoors during the coldest, darkest days.

By Sarah Lemon

Like geese flying south for the winter, exercise enthusiasts tend to flock indoors during the coldest, darkest days.

Warm and bright in early morning and late evening, health clubs represent a refuge from the season's inclement weather, hectic pace and parade of feast foods.

Whether you're contemplating joining a club in the Rogue Valley, switching venues or haven't explored all the options your club has to offer, Oregon Healthy Living can show you the way.

Our staff defined health clubs as facilities that offer more than a place to lift weights and log hours on the treadmill. From their group exercise classes or one-on-one training to their focus on seniors or women only, these 10 clubs provide a wide array of amenities that promote well-being and help members check their cares at the door.

Monthly fees: $37 per individual member; $17.50 per teen 13 to 17; $10.50 per youth 12 and younger; $32 per senior; family rates are $37 for one adult, $22 for second adult, $9 per child younger than 18; financial assistance and scholarships available for low-income individuals and families.

Monthly fees: From $47 per young adult (35 and younger) for fitness and swim only to $167 for full-facility use; couples/families and junior rates available for tennis, fitness and swim or full-facility.

Testimonial: "I'm not going to go anywhere else and there is nowhere else to go for what we get here. We moved here for Shakespeare, the chamber music and the mountains, but when we found this club, this is where we spend most of our free time." — Gary Farnham, Ashland

Avamere Health & Fitness Club

Location: 760 Spring St., Medford

Phone: 541-773-7718

Online: www.avamerehealthandfitness.com

Established: 1999

Size: 12,000 square feet

Members: More than 500, age 65 on average, two-thirds of whom are women

Monthly fees: $47.50 per individual member, $37.50 per senior, $30.25 per young adult, $20.25 per youth, $67 per couple ($56.50 if senior), $75 per family ($56.50 if one-parent); financial assistance and scholarships available for low-income individuals and families.

Monthly fees: From $55 per individual for fitness only, $80 for tennis only and $120 for full membership; couples, seniors, family and youth rates available; one-time initiation fee from $125 per individual for fitness only to $1,000 per full family membership.

Employees: 12

Personal training: $35 per hour for members, $40 for nonmembers.

Extras: Tennis pro shop with racket-stringing; nutrition counseling.

Testimonial: "They have things that they offer socially, and there are leagues that go on throughout the year. We always get compliments

Monthly fees: $40 per individual member, $34 for seniors and students, $67 per couple, $55 per senior couple and $84 per family (unlimited use of both Medford clubs); Barnett — $34 per individual member, $58 per couple, $70 per family; Eagle Point — $33 per individual member, $58 per couple, $70 per family.

Testimonial: "I've learned so much more than weight loss. It's not even about the weight loss anymore. I eat such clean food; I don't even eat much that's processed right now." — Manette Aplin, Central Point